Workers’ Rights are Human Rights activists in the Sunshine State defeated the most outrageous of the avalanche of anti-union bills pressed by Republican state legislators, SB 830, a Worker Gag law championed by Jeb Bush operative John Thrasher, which would have prohibited union dues money from being used for political purposes without similarly limiting corporate spending.
They also defeated a bill (HB 1023) that would have require members of public unions to recertify their unions each year, a bill (HB 1025) that would have required unions to send each member a reminder of how they can decertify the union, and a bill (SB 982, HB 241) that would have prohibited local communities from passing ordinances to prevent theft of wages by unscrupulous employers. Last, but not least, workers’ rights are human rights advocates defeated a bill similar to Arizona’s controversial immigrant racial profiling law (SB 1070/HB 691).
However, the most right wing Florida legislature in 60 years did succeed in passing a number of new laws that will be deeply harmful to workers and ordinary people. The legislature passed SB 728/HB 7005, which, in a time of record joblessness, reduces the duration of unemployment benefits by up to 54%, from 26 weeks to a sliding scale of 12 to 20 weeks, depending on the state’s unemployment rate. The bill will also make it easier to fire workers without paying them unemployment, require unemployment benefit applicants to undergo a skills review test, and would require beneficiaries to accept a job paying at least minimum wage once they have received 19 weeks of benefits, among other punitive measures.
The FLA legislature also passed a law that mandates a 3% pension contribution rate and reduces cost of living adjustments for new hires covered by the Florida Retirement System (SB 2100/HB 1405).
This right wing legislature made the deepest inroads in their efforts to weaken public education and teachers’ rights. They passed HB 7197, which requires school districts and the Florida Department of Education to establish online education curriculum and classes. The bill also allows charter schools to offer both classroom and online instruction. They also passed SB 1546, which weakens regulations on the charter school industry and allows certain charter schools to expand into new counties. The bill also allows colleges and universities to open their own charter schools. Right wing Republican Governor Rick Scott had already signed into law HB 7019, which ends teacher tenure and establishes a merit pay plan based on student test scores, and HB 736, which overhauls how teachers are evaluated and paid and establishes a one year probationary contract for new teachers, during which they can be fired without cause, on March 24.
On May 4, the Senate passed SB 2086. This bill will overhaul the state’s election system, reducing early voting, restricting voter registration, prohibiting voter protection activities, and reducing the time to conduct citizen’s initiative drives.
The Legislature also approved SJR 958/HB 7221, the co-called “TABOR” bill that will refer a Constitutional amendment to the ballot that would cap state revenues by tying them to inflation and population growth.
Finally, they also passed a law that attempts to privatize Medicaid, weakening health care protection for those least able to afford private insurance (SB 2144/HB 7107).
In the face of these assaults, TWU is FIGHTING BACK! Florida TWU members should SAVE THE DATE for a major rally in Orlando on Saturday, June 4.